Shock absorbing mechanism for railway draft riggings



SHOCK ABSORBING MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY DRAFT RIGGINGS Filed March 1, 1951 s sheets-sheet 1 \&-| I; Q ,A x7

q l P* @il Buren 01.-

Nov. 18, 1952 Filed March l 1951 w. E. wn-HALL 2,618,393

SHOCK ABSORBING MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY DRAFT RIGGINGS Z5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 18, 1952 w E, WITHALL 2,618,393

SHOCK ABSORBING MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY DRAFT RIGGINGS Filed Mann 1, 1951 s sheets-sheet s @Pl uns n Patented Nov. 18, 1952 'UNITED STATES ,PATENT OFFICE William E. Withall, Hinsdale, .-Ill., .assigner .to W. H. Miner, Inc., Chicago, .Ill .a corporation of 'Delaware ApplicationMarchil, 1951, Serial No. 213,379

(Cl. v.Z13-4.4)

1 Claim. il .",Ihis Y.invention relates to improvements rvin shock absorbing ,mechanisms especially Vadapted ,for gdraft sigg-ings Aof railway cars.

.Qne object of .the invention yis to ,provide va fshock absorbing mechanism employing rubber elementssubjectedzto both .com-pression and shear to ,yieldingly resist shocks.

A .further object .of .the invention :is vto lprovide :a shock absorbing mechanism .of ythe character indicated, comprising rubber `pads .extending lengthwise of the mechanism andalternated -with metal lspacing members, .to which the pads are vulcanized, wherein rthe vspacing .members are movable lengthwise lwith respect to each .other during compression of the ,mechanism to subject the pads ,to ,both compression `and shear, thereby providing relatively high vshock absorbing capacity.

Still another object of the invention ,is to provide Aa vshock absorbing mechanism, as set forth in `the ,preceding paragraph, wherein the rubber y.pads are subjected vto lateral .compression through relative lateral approach or Athe spacing members during compression of the mechanism, thereby materially increasing ,the shook absorbing capacity of the device.

A .more specific object of the linvention is to provide a 'shock absorbing mechanism compris- ,ing a plurality of lengthwise extending, alternated rubber pads and spacing members interpQSed between iront ,and rear followers, vrelatively ,movable lengthwise `of the mechanism, wherein the spacing members comprise telescopedJength- Wise tapered, hollow tubular members of rectangular, transverse cross section to which opposite 2 sides of the inter-posed pads a-revulcanized, the spacing members being arranged for relative vmovement with respect to each other, whereby the lrubber pads, in addition to being Vplaced under shear, .are subjected .to high lateral compression vthrough squeezing ,action exerted by the 4tapered,spacing members during lengthwise compression of the mechanism.

Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear from the description and claim hereinafter following.

In lthe accompanying drawings forming a part of vthis specification, Figure l1 is a horizontal, longitudinal sectional View, through a portion of the underframe structure at one end of a railway car, illustrating my improved shock absorbing'mechanism in connection therewith. Figure transverse, vertical .sectional view, corresponding :substantially to the line 3-3 of .Figure 1. Figure Y'4 is a longitudinal, vertical .sectional view, corresponding substantially to the lline 4-`4 of Figure 1. Figure l5 iis a longitudinal, vertical sectional View, corresponding substantially lto the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

In 'said drawings, il!) indicates the longitudinally extending `center -or draft sill of a railway 'car underframe structure, having the usual bot- 'tom Iflanges as shown -in Figure 1. On the inner sides, the sill -is provided with `'front and rear stop lugs Yl'l--I-I and -|2-.|2, Acommonly employed in draft riggin'gs The rear portion lof the usual coupler shank is indicated lby I3, to which is operatively connected a yoke i4 of wellknownfconstruction. My l.improved shock absorbfing mechanism and the cooperating front and -rear followers I5 and L6 -are disposed within the yoke, the Iiol-lowers .I5 4and AIii cooperating, 'respectively, with the Viront Vand rear stop vlugs II--I l and :l 2-112 in the usual manner. A :saddle plate ll., ysecured to the Vbottom flanges :of :the vsill iii! underlies vthe yoke `I4 and supports the latter and the parts contained therein.

My improved Vshock absorbing mechanism .comprises broadly a plurality of spacing .members `or sleeves A, B, and C, a central, lengthwise extending, spacing plate D, Aand a plurality .of rubber pads El, F, and `Gr 'alternated with .the 'sleeves A, ZB, C., .and plate D..

'The sleeves A, LB, and C are preferably .in :the form of vmetal casings open at the :front :and rear ends and rare all of rectangular, transverse .cross section, being .arranged .lengthwise .o f :the mechanism, and .each sleeve or casing "is tapered lengthwise, 'that is, ared rearwardly. The sleeve B is vdisposed within the sleeve A :and the sleeve IC is .disposedw-ithin the vsleeve B. Inother words, these three sleeves -are telescopically ar- ,y ranged. As .clearly illustrated :in Figures 1,2,

2 is a horizontal, longitudinal sectional view, similar to Figure 1, showing the shock absorbing mechanism fully compressed. Figure 3 1s a Ll, and :5, the sleeves A and C are of the .same length. The sleeve B is shorter than the 'sleeves A and C and when the Vmechanism is *fully :compressed, as `shown Figures A2 and 15, has lits :fron-t end spaced frornthe'af-ront'follower l5.

The sleeves A, B, and C :are of progressively decreasing, transverse, cross sectional size and the walls of the sleeves A Yand B are preferably spaced the same distance apart as the walls of the sleeves C and B.

The plate D is substantially flat and tapered lengthwise, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. This plate is disposed horizontally and isarranged within the sleeve C. The tapered plate D corresponds in length to the sleeves A and C, and has its side edges parallel to the vertical side walls -20 of the sleeve C.

The rubber pads E, F, and G are in the form of hollow sleeves or casings, and are also of rectangulari, transverse, cross section, and taper lengthwise, the pad E'being disposed within the sleeve A and surrounding the sleeve B, the rubber pad F being disposed within the sleeve B and surrounding the sleeve C, and the rubber pad G being disposed within the sleeve C and surrounding the plate D. The pad E is vulcanized to the walls of the sleeves A and B, the pad F is vulcanized to the walls of the sleeves B and C, and the pad G is vulcanized to the plate D and the walls of the sleeve C.

As shown in Figure 1, the front and rear ends of the walls of the rubber pads F, and G are beveled o, the front ends of the pads E and G being inclined laterally outwardly, the front end of the pad F being inclined laterally inwardly, the rear ends of the pads E and G being inclined laterally inwardly, and the rear end of the pad F being inclined laterally outwardly.

As hereinbefore mentioned, my improved shock absorbing mechanism is disposed within the yoke I4 between the front and rear followers I5 and I9. In the expanded condition of the mechanism illustrated in Figures 1 and 4, the front ends of the sleeves A and Cr are in abutment with the front follower I5, and the rear end of the sleeve B and the rear end of the plate D are in abutment with the rear follower It.

As most clearly shown in Figures l and 5, the front end of the outer casing A is supported by a filler block 2i welded to the bottom arm of the yoke I4 to maintain the proper positioning of the shock absorbing mechanism or unit within the yoke, that is, with the bottom wall of the sleeve A inclined upwardly in forward direction.

The operation of my improved shock absorbing mechanism is as follows: Assuming that a draft or pulling force is applied to the coupler I 3, thereby moving the same and the yoke |13, together with the rear follower 93, forwardly toward the front follower I5, which is at this time held stationary by the front stop lugs lI--I I, the sleeve B and the plate D will be moved forwardly until the compression of the mechanism is arrested, as shown in Figure 2 by engagement of the front l'end of the plate D with the front follower I5 and the rear ends of the sleeves A and C by the rear follower I. When the mechanism has been thus compressed, the casings A and C and the plate D l act as column members to transmit the actuating under shear through lengthwise relative movement of the sleeves to which the pads are Vulcanized. The shocks imparted to the mechanism will thus be properly cushioned, due to the inherent resiliency of the rubber pads.

When the actuating force is reduced, the tendency of the distorted rubber pads to return to their normal shape will return the sleeves A, B, and C and the plate D to the full release position of the mechanism, as shown in Figure 1.

The operation in buff is the same as in draft, with the exception that the front follower I5 is moved inwardly, the rear follower I6 remains stationary, and that the sleeves A and C are moved rearwardly with the front follower I5 until they engage the rear follower I6 and the plate D is engaged by the front follower.

I claim:

In a shock absorbing mechanism adapted to be interposed between front and rear follower members of a railway draft rigging, the combination with a lengthwise extending, outer, rectangular metal sleeve, said sleeve being tapered lengthwise; of a second lengthwise extending, rectangular metal sleeve disposed within said'lrst named sleeve and tapered in the same direction as said first named metal sleeve; a rectangular rubber sleeve surrounding said second named metal sleeve and embraced by said first named metal sleeve and vulcanized to said sleeves; a third lengthwise extending rectangular metal sleeve disposed within said second named metal sleeve and tapered in the same direction as said first and second named metal sleeves; a second rectangular rubber sleeve embraced between said second and third named metal sleeves and vulcanized to the same; a lengthwise extending spacing plate member within said third named metal sleeve, said plate member being of uniform thickness throughout its length and of tapering width lengthwise to correspond with the taper of said third named metal sleeve; and a third rubber sleeve surrounding said spacing member and embraced by said third named metal sleeve and vulcanized to said spacing member and third named metal sleeve, said rst and third named metal sleeves being relatively movable in lengthwise direction with respect to said second named metal sleeve, said rst and third named metal sleeves bearing on said front follower member and being spaced from said rear follower member, and said second named metal sleeve bearing on said rear follower member and being spaced from said front follower member, said spacing plate member bearing at its rear end on said rear follower member and having its front end spaced from said front follower member.

WILLIAM E. WITHALL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,126,707 Schmidt Aug. 16, 1938 2,165,375 Heitner July ll, 1939 2,260,508 Chambers Oct. 28, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS VNumber Country Date 756,981 France Dec. 18, 1933 

